September 11, 2015
CapitalPress.com
15
Vineyard operators focus on grapes
By BRENNA WIEGAND
For the Capital Press
SILVERTON, Ore. —
Through their 25 years in
viticulture, Pete and Donna
Paradis of Paradis Vineyard
have been successful in shift-
ing the nature of their busi-
ness to suit the market and
their lifestyle.
In 1990 they purchased
the 100-acre property on
North Abiqua Road near Sil-
verton, Ore., that includes a
60-acre vineyard, woodlands
and a home.
They got into winemaking
in 2000 and helped form the
East Valley Wine District to
promote the wines on the east
side of the Willamette Valley.
“We make just as good a
wine or better than they do
over there,” Paradis said.
“It’s just getting the word out.
Many have said that for every
20-dollar bottle of wine, 10
dollars go into marketing.”
Ultimately, they decided
that marketing the wine took
too much time away from the
family and closed the winery
in 2007.
Last year the vineyard
formed a partnership with
Adelsheim Vineyard, which
now leases the entire 60-acre
vineyard. This year’s crop is
estimated at 120-140 tons.
“I’m real proud to have
our fruit going in that direc-
tion,” Paradis said. “Before
this it was usually blended in
large vats with that of many
other growers and our efforts
to improve quality were lost
in the tank, so to speak.”
Adelsheim Vineyard &
Winery makes small produc-
tion, single vineyard Pinot
Noirs.
“They had an event where
we were able to come and
taste the wine made from
our grapes,” Donna Paradis
said. “The winemakers told
us they liked what they were
getting.”
The steady income en-
abled Pete to retire from
Silver Falls School District
after 26 years to focus entire-
ly on the farm. Donna went
into real estate three years
ago and found her farming
background brings buyers
and sellers — a California
almond farmer, a large herbal
company and currently Abi-
qua Wind Vineyard & Win-
ery just down the road.
As son Pierre’s duties as
vineyard manager lessened
he focused on off-site equip-
ment contracting for other
vineyards and two years ago
the 22-year-old launched
Rainbow Valley Enterprises,
doing hedging, leaf removal,
hauling fruit and the like.
In March AgroThermal
Systems of Walnut Creek,
Calif., named him its first
certified applicator of their
heat-treatment technology. It
involves making 4 mph pass-
es through a vineyard or other
crop on a machine that shoots
out 300-350 degree blasts of
air, raising the temperature
of leaves and clusters by 20
percent in less than a sec-
ond. The treatment has been
shown to increase yields by
up to 25 percent and increase
the wine’s phenolic content.
Phenols impact the taste, col-
or and mouthfeel of wine.
Last year Pete complet-
ed carving a 25-foot totem
pole chronicling the family’s
ventures and milestones, in-
spired by his American Indi-
an heritage.
An intricate grapevine
weaves its way through all
the symbols of heritage, ca-
reers, children, weddings and
affiliations because, as he
said, their whole life wraps
around grapes.
“There’s room throughout
the pole for other ventures,”
he added. “Who knows what
we might do in the future.”
The Paradis
family gathers
around the fam-
ily totem pole at
the foot of their
vineyard. From
left to right are
Tim Paradis
and wife Maria,
Pete, Donna,
Jori, Lilly and
Pierre. Pete
carved the
totem pole to
chronicle the
milestones in
their lives.
Brenna Wiegand/
For the Capital
Press
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